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Utempe
First of the three nations of Taresani, Utempe has been ruled since its foundation not by the Nimastha who make up the overwhelming majority of its population, but by a Marnic noble family that went into self-exile during the beginning of the Great Orc-Wars. The warriors serving this family, House Gemsari, were the first to turn the tide against the invading orcs in Taresani, and the Gemsari wealth was poured into the land to restore its farms and give shelter to its people. Today, Utempe is greatly wealthy, having gained sole control over trade with Drecitou by virtue of military treaty with Paakirjä. It is an orderly, centralised state, and its subjects are intensely loyal to their King—despite a rebellion in FY 29 that led to the loss of half of the fledgling nation’s territory and the formation of neighbouring Saonedh. However, it remains to be seen for how much longer House Gemsari will continue to tolerate the presence of Saonedh on their northeastern border. For adventurers and foreigners, Utempe is the most hospitable of the three nations: warmer and more cheerful than Paakirjä, and wealthier and more harmonious than Saonedh. Founding Year Kandirza Gemsari crowned the King of Utempe Free Year 19. Capital City Tsrin. Geography Utempe is situated in the southernmost regions of Taresani, and is the smallest nation in Taresani in size. The terrain is of no significant elevation, the highest areas being the gently rolling hills of the northwest, at only several hundred feet above sea level. Most of Utempe is a broad, fair plain of meadows, mixed forests, and small lakes, though the land grows stony and infertile as one approaches the Saonedhi border. As with the rest of Taresani, the coasts are smooth, with gravel beaches, although there are several impressive cliff-faces to the east of Ilkkano. On the coast of the Siirimat Gulf, around the city of Cutha, the land grows wet and stagnant, a maze of fens and brackish streams. Cutha grew to a city of its prominence because it has the most solid ground for many miles: to the northwest, there is only the Wood-of-Glass, closed to human settlements, and to the northeast lies Saonedh. The southern coast is more accessible to settlement, and fishing villages run the breadth between Ilkkano and Sekaag. There are two spans of elven forest within Utempe: the Wood-of-Glass in the north, which crosses the border between Utempe and Paakirjä; and the Qithnòrv in the southeast, upon the Kodhrap River flowing from the city of Nej. The two rivers of significance in Utempe are the Kodhrap in the east, and the Ijamtul in the west, which runs from southern Paakirjä, through the city of Jutyyl, and across the borders, to Sekaag at its mouths in the Pale Sea. One could consider the two rivers to be the proper boundaries of Utempe: west of the Ijamtul, the land is too distant from Tsrin for most of its Nimasthari inhabitants to ever learn of their governance by House Gemsari, and east of the Kodhrap, the rocky land supports few farmers, and Saonedhi noblemen from the northeast often ride across the border during the autumn hunt without even being aware that they are crossing it. The largest city in Taresani is the capital of Utempe, Tsrin, which lies at a major crossroads between roads leading from Cutha, Ilkkano and the saighe of Azban’, Sekaag, and Nej. It lies on the shore of the largest lake on Taresani, Lake Mùàdza. The lake is mostly shallow and marshy, and not particularly useful as a means of transportation, but its mud is so fertile that House Gemsari has had to instate laws controlling its harvest, and the freshwater fish found there are extremely numerous. South of Lake Mùàdza, the land runs upward again, and one can find impressive cliffs for many miles east of Ilkkano. The most isolated part of Utempe lies to the southeast, north of the coasts but south of the Qithnòrv, at the mouths of the Kodhrap. Only four villages lie in that distant region, and there are said to be ruins on the eastern banks of the southern Kodhrap. These ruins are inaccessible except by crossing the river, as the nearby coasts are all cliffs, and the elves of the Qithnòrv are particularly isolationistic. Their nature is not clear to scholars, except that they seem to have been constructed by nonhumans, and are made of some strange form of metal which does not rust or tarnish, and has a handsome pale green appearance, like young leaves in the spring. The name for the ruins used by the agrestic natives of the region translates from their local Nimasthari dialect as “the Garden of the Giants.” It appears that the city is mainly buried in sediment, as the only parts of it that are visible from the ground are mostly-buried domes, the peaks of towers, and a few plazas with high railings. Many adventurers have attempted entrance through these plazas, as there are what appear to be doorways in their floors with an enigmatic sort of puzzle to the right of them. This puzzle involves what seems to be a handprint specifically fitted for an elven hand, as well as a sort of finely constructed wire-grating (of the same pale green metal) which, as adventurers have gradually deduced, reacts to words. Adventurers have guessed that the only way for the doorways to be opened is by an elf, fitting their hand into the space provided and speaking some sort of password. However, elves are extremely reluctant to enter the Garden of the Giants for reasons which they refuse to divulge, and those among the adventurers have been known to simply abandon their companions then and there when pressed to enter the ruins, instead leaving for the Qithnòrv and never returning. Population & Demographics As is the case with its neighbour, Saonedh, Utempe’s human population is exclusively Nimasthari. There are two major divisions of the Nimastha who dwell within Utempe’s borders: the majority, at perhaps seventy percent of the populace, is made up of the Sanriat, who inhabit the western and more fertile half of the nation, and who were driven southward from their original homeland in the areas now around Jutyyl in Paakirjä because of the Great Orc-Wars. The minority of the Nimastha in Utempe are found in the eastern environs of Utempe, particularly east of the Kodhrap River., as well as predominantly in Saonedh. They are called the Zhemerau, mainly making up the populace of the regions around the cities of Cutha and Nej. In terms of the nonhumans, Utempe is most notable because it is now the only region in Taresani where one can still find the pacifist halflings called the Nheawyrsen. There are only two caravans of the Nheawyrsen commonly encountered in Utempe. According to these caravans, there is a third, but it does not leave the safety of the Qithnòrv, where it enjoys elven patronage. There is only one saighe, called Azban’, which lies around thirty kilometres southwest of the Qithnòrv forests. The ruling family House Gemsari is not of Nimasthari origin, however, but is rather a large Marnic extended family, as one can notice from their somewhat darker skin and their gleaming copper-coloured hair. House Gemsari has slowly grown more Nimasthari in terms of bloodline as its members have married into the native population, but one can still easily tell a member of the House from natives. In Utempe there are three hundred and forty thousand human inhabitants, counted by a rough census commissioned by House Gemsari in FY 192; thirty-five thousand dwarves and twenty-one thousand gnomes in the saighe of Azban’; perhaps two and a half thousand elves; three hundred half-orcs residing in the northern fens; and four thousand halflings, with a negligible number of half-elves. Government & Foreign Relations Of all of the nations in the known world, Utempe’s government remains the most dynastic (or, according to the slander of some Saonedhi lords, “incestuous”). The reins of temporal power are firmly held by House Gemsari, and have been since the nation’s foundation. Even House Malkerian does not have such centralised and unquestioned authority in Sraiyag Vacan as House Gemsari does in Utempe. The main cause for this is that the lower nobility of Utempe does not have control over the military. Instead, the King retains supreme martial authority, and the highest ranking officers are always elected based on both intellect and loyalty to the House. The military was first established when Kandirza, a Marnic nobleman, arrived in southern Taresani in the bleak early years of the Great Orc-Wars, followed by the members of his House and mercenaries that he had hired from ranks of deserters from the Marnic Legions. Professional soldiers were unknown in Taresani up until that point, and the unyielding discipline instilled by Legion training (not to mention the decisive advantage in combat afforded by the use of arcuballistae) gave House Gemsari’s mercenaries victory in the great majority of their skirmishes with the orcs. As Nimasthari warlords began to pledge allegiance to House Gemsari (for which it rewarded them with titles of nobility), a distinct power structure developed, with the House’s members attaining increasing influence the nearer their blood relation to Kandirza, their leader. When the orcish tide began to finally fade and peace slowly returned to southern Taresani, Kandirza established his House’s members as overseers of construction efforts in the cities, military patrols through dangerous areas, and ambassadors to the nonhumans. While in Marnic culture this House favouritism would have rapidly destabilised and eventually toppled Kandirza’s reign, in Taresani it indicated to the natives rather that Kandirza fully trusted his own House and believed its members to be the best administrators. With the rather gilded reputation that Kandirza had developed from his campaigns against the orcs during the earlier wars, most of the native Nimastha decided that Kandirza’s judgement was best, and that House Gemsari was most equipped to rule. Today, Utempe’s government is virtually indistinguishable from the reign of House Gemsari. After all, Utempe only came into existence through the efforts of Kandirza and his family, without which southern Taresani would likely have wallowed in chaos and death. Politicking in Utempe consists of gaining or losing the favour of House Gemsari. Loyalty, whether real or feigned, is vital to the advancement of one’s position in the hierarchy, and even the merchants often become embroiled in the politics of loyalty to the Royal House. Since the White-Spear always passes to the eldest son in Utempe, the members of House Gemsari outside of the immediate royal family are not involved in the politics of succession (unlike the state of affairs in Drecitou). Members of House Gemsari outside of the royal family itself are often given other vital roles in governance, such as governorate of a city, a high rank in the military, or the role of ambassador to a distant nation. The legal codes of Utempe are based on those of the Marnic Federation, with some adjustments to accommodate for Nimasthari culture, and are enforced by military tribunal. Of the three nations of Taresani, Utempe maintains the most contact with Kerlonna, mainly through trade networks with Drecitou. Utempe maintains embassies in Sydä, Olea, Oksyrs, and Askalris, and information from the court at Tsrin suggests that King Hauraza is making motions to open official diplomatic channels with Cil Adasiga. Though it may seem odd that Utempe would maintain diplomatic relations with a nation as distant as Sraiyag Vacan, House Gemsari wishes to retain some level of connection with the remnants of Marnic culture. House Gemsari regards Houses Malkerian and Zenali with deference and a certain measure of envy, owing to the great wealth of Drecitou and the vast military strength of Sraiyag Vacan. As Drecitou is such a vital and all-consuming ally in matters of trade, Utempe’s leaders have always sought to curry favour with both the national rule of House Zenali and the local rule of the provincial Lords, particularly the Lords of Serlau Province. Furthermore, House Gemsari has always sought to defer, in military matters, to the authority of the Lomriiskyrateen of Paakirjä. The Utempi regard the people of Paakirjä to be rather coarse, but fierce and noble warriors whose honour cannot be questioned. The fact that Paakirjä kept trade in Serlau as usual despite their eighty-four year occupation of the city may have something to do with the cordial relations between the two nations. Due to their Nimastha ethnicity, the low people of Utempe have a feeling of cultural dissonance with the Iseilua, and of kinship with the Saonedhi. However, at the same time the Nimastha of Utempe regard the Gemsari Kings as their just and righteous rulers, and look at House Sahun with a measure of contempt. Rural Nimastha, of course, are barely aware of the political divisions between the two nations, and what little they hear of them tells them that Kandirza was a glorious hero, and Sahun Dkarit was a brutal rebel who committed atrocities in the name of his own lust for power. Minor border skirmishes between Utempe and Saonedh are very frequent, and there was even an invasion attempt by Saonedh in FY 94. If rumours are true, King Hauraza plans on a true invasion of Saonedh within two years, with the aim of deposing the Saonedhi king and the annexation of the entire kingdom. Economy Of the three nations of Taresani, Utempe is easily the most wealthy and mercantile. The nation’s vessels cross the Pale Sea even in the winter, and some Utempi merchants have permanently settled in the city of Serlau to assist their brethren in getting the best deals at market. Tsrin is the economic axis of the island: wool, silver and iron ingots, and crops from Paakirjä, as well as gems and pelts from the Dhuzarl Hills of Saonedh, mix there with Drecitoun perfumes and books. To a harried traveller from Kerlonna, Tsrin on the island might seem the only bastion of civilization, with a clean and boisterous market where the sounds of four different tongues can be heard in the same trader’s stall. Most of the profits from trade with Drecitou end up in House Gemsari’s coffers, yet the merchants retain a stable level of prosperity. The majority of trade across the Pale Sea is controlled by a small network of merchant families that long ago realised the benefits to be had from cautious cooperation rather than ruthless competition. They have a level of influence on par with the nobility, and some have even married into the royal House. In Utempe itself, the main resource is that the most fertile land in Taresani is to be had there, where hardy varieties of wheat may flourish, and orchards of peach, apple, and pear flourish. Great barrels of cider are a favoured export to Drecitou, where discerning palates have realised that Utempi cider is the finest in Kerlonna. In turn, the Utempi nobility flaunt their wealth by serving Drecitoun ale (or, in the case of House Gemsari, Vacani and Injili wines). Rain is so plentiful in Taresani that the fields are almost always fruitful, and southern Utempe sees the mildest winters of the island. Shipbuilding is undertaken at the same cities where traders across the Pale Sea leave Utempe, being Ilkkano and Sekaag. The most productive fisheries of Utempe lie in the Siirimat Gulf, harvested by craft rowing from Cutha. Trade is facilitated by the roads constructed at the order of King Suodamerti nearly a century ago. Such roads, nearly the equal of the Federal highway system that still connects distant areas of Kerlonna, can only be found within the borders of Utempe: beyond, they run down into packed dirt trails through forests and across fields. Some Utempi vessels travel farther south than the city of Serlau, journeying down into the warmer coasts of Drecitou where goods from Taresani can be sold at a higher price to eager Drecitoun noblemen and merchants. House Gemsari prosecutes smuggling with ferocity, since levies on the merchant vessels are a significant source of money for the coffers. As Utempe is warmer than Paakirjä and has more lush fields than Saonedh, cattle can be found in significant numbers in its southern pastures. Every two summers, the herders of Utempe drive their cattle to market at Tsrin, vastly expanding its already-substantial economic activity and bringing the overpowering stench of drying beef, tanned leather, and livestock to the city. Cheeses from Utempe are sold to the eager nobilities of Paakirjä and Saonedh. However, the Utempi do not keep sheep herds comparable to those of Paakirjä, and as a result most of the nation’s wool comes from trade with the north rather than from within its own borders. In many ways, Utempe is more active in trade than any nation of the mainland, despite its small size. Due to the military dominance of Paakirjä, there is no real hope for the people of Utempe to gain prominence through conquest. However, what they lack in martial prowess they make up for in business acumen. Even as early as the Summer Rising in FY 29, Utempe had begun importing weapons sold by Serlaun merchants in exchange for stores of preserved fish and fishing vessels. Particularly intrepid merchant vessels have even sailed up the Wirmas River to the city of Olea, and some fortunate merchants have gained audiences with House Zenali. Were it not for the danger of sailing along coasts frequented by orcish raiding bands, Utempe would likely become a great trading power of the known world. Culture The Sanriat and Zhemerau have some minor cultural differences between them, but Nimasthari culture in general is fairly homogeneous. As a result of millennia of isolation in Taresani, as with the Iseilua, the Nimastha have developed cultural idiosyncrasies that many people of Kerlonnic origin would find quite out of place. There are certain broad commonalities between the Iseilua and the Nimastha, but due to their tribalism before the Great Orc-Wars and the standoffish attitude fomented afterwards, they are otherwise dissimilar from lack of cultural exchange. Though House Gemsari brought a few of the trappings of Marnic culture with it when it established Utempe, the only one that achieved popularity among the Nimastha was the division of the nobility into “Houses.” Otherwise, in cultural terms, House Gemsari was entirely assimilated into the native culture. Like the Iseilua, the Nimastha avoid overt emotionality, but unlike them, they gladly express their emotions in verbal form. When feeling strong emotions, the Nimastha man’s body language and tone can seem quite mild, but the words will betray his feelings. For example, a man feeling ecstatic joy may simply smile broadly and say, “Indeed I do feel joyous beyond compare,” his tone even and placid. Most people of Kerlonna find this even more alien than the general stoicism of the Iseilua, and those that have come in contact with the Nimastha often mock them in jokes by exaggerating this behaviour even further, keeping their faces completely blank and their voices wooden, and saying, “I hate you with all of my burning passions, you fool” or some other such statement. The Nimastha do not feel that showing strong emotions is appropriate at any time among strangers, preferring instead to express such things among their families and close friends. A Nimasthari tavern, however, is far louder than an Iseiluaan, because there one is with his friends, and as a result can express emotions freely and, quite often, noisily. While among the Iseilua women are somewhat more open with their emotions than men, among the Nimastha women share the same placidity and regard it as a mark of a good upbringing. The violent emotional reactions one can observe in small children are mitigated as soon as is possible, and regarded as something “to be trained.” The Nimastha also frown upon lying for any reason, but are not as flatly honest as the Iseilua tend to be. Rather, if they must say something that is true yet the listener does not wish to hear, they frame their statements almost in entreaties, questioning whether the listener is prepared to heed their advice. As in Paakirjä, hierarchy is vital among the interactions of the Nimastha. The Nimastha regard advancement in a social hierarchy as something of duty rather than privilege, and their elders are often quite occupied in their final years from the task of leading their community. However, the body language of social hierarchy differs noticeably from that of the Iseilua. The subordinate tends to draw the feet closer together and bend the head slightly forward, creating a subtle “diminishing” of the apparent size of their body. The superior, on the other hand, widens his stance and raises the head to its natural posture to appear larger. Subconsciously, the superior will adopt a deeper speaking pitch than normal while the subordinate assumes a higher pitch. Interrupting the words of another is considered deeply offensive, regardless of respective position in a hierarchy. The Nimastha are also very physically reserved with one another, and avoid touching anyone else in public if they can possibly manage it. When foreigners come to Nimasthari culture and touch them, they do not tolerate it, and may even shrink back from the contact. In private, physical contact is reserved for spouses, or for parents with their children. There is also a particular cultural standard that is not originally native to the Nimastha but was imported by House Gemsari from Marnic culture: when in the presence of high-ranking nobility, the low people are expected to keep their eyes downcast and not speak unless spoken to. Women are no less marginalised in Nimasthari culture than they are in that of the Iseilua. Though originally the women of House Gemsari had the same social standards as those one could have found in Marnoz, as time went by and House Gemsari absorbed into the culture, the men found that they could tolerate the independence of women less and less. In courts of law, the testimony of a woman is considered only effective if the person on trial is a woman herself. Among the wealthy or noble-blooded, polygamy is a regular practice, and many rich merchants may have three or four wives, usually in multiple locations. The inferiority of women is even marked in their language, and the Nimastha certainly find the sexual standards of continental cultures to be immoral due to the “licence” they grant. To a Nimasthari man, a woman is a thing to be controlled and directed. In essence, female children are considered the property of their father until such time as they are married women, when they instead become the property of their husband. The one loophole, as in Iseiluaan culture, is the role of the paladin, which stipulates that the woman must remain a virgin for the rest of her life and maintain an unswerving opposition to any romantic or sexual advances from anyone else. Eating customs among the Nimastha are quite formalised, so it is worthwhile to describe them here. In the southern regions of Taresani, one can grow rather more than in Paakirjä, but it still would seem harsh and desolate to any Drecitoun or Vacani. The main crops remain barley and rye, though wheat is somewhat more easily cultivated. Uniquely in Taresani, Utempe possesses the environmental capacity to support cattle, mainly in the southern fields of the nation. Sheep are less popular than in Paakirjä and Saonedh. Herbs are heavily used in Nimasthari food, especially in the winter, when dried rosemary and thyme are used to enliven the flavours of stews and dried meats. Ale and wine are unknown in Taresani (except perhaps among the nobility, who eagerly quaff imported beverages from Kerlonna), and the preferred alcoholic beverages are mead, cider, fruit wines. The only regularly-used utensils are wooden spoons for stews: otherwise, one eats with one’s hands in Utempe, although breads can sometimes be used to wrap around a food of loose consistency in order for it to be more easily eaten. The Nimastha do not sit on chairs or couches when eating, instead seating themselves directly on the floor, cross-legged. At the centre of the table lies bread, and it is ringed by bowls of other foods such as a stew, fruit, and meat. It is considered polite for a male guest to taste of the meal first, to ensure that the host has supplied adequate food. If there is no guest, then the first person to taste of the food is the familial patriarch. In most situations, this either means the father, or grandfather, of the family involved. In situations involving the nobility, the man of the highest prestige is the first to eat, thus being the King most often. The formalities of a meal are complex, such that they are often used as a vehicle for political manoeuvring among the nobility. Women eat after the men, and people of varying social station do not eat at the same table. Slaves are lucky to have a table at all: most dine instead in the corner, glad to eat the leftovers from whatever meal their owners have indulged in. The beginning of a meal is indicated by “the breaking of the bread,” which is passed first among the men by age, and then among the women by age, with the last piece always going to the youngest girl and the first piece always to the eldest man. Drinking to excess is most often done during winter meals, when there is no need for sobriety during the long silence in the fields. Inebriation during warm months, when work ought to be done, is regarded as the mark of a fool. Metal spoons, plates, and bowls are considered a sign of wealth and are only used by the upper nobility: lower-ranking noblemen and merchants can be expected to use well-made hardwood, while the low people simply make do with whatever native wood is available, often a softwood of some form. Funerals are wholly Nimasthari in origin, with no traces of the original Marnic customs surviving in House Gemsari. Burial is a privilege only for the nobility, and is a lavish affair of barrow-building, animal sacrifice, and ritual lamentations. The Silent Children arrange offerings to the dead nobleman meant to aid him in the next world and are responsible for the sacrifices of the animals offered up. The more expensive the animal, the more respectful it is considered towards the dead. The ceremony can last for days before the Silent Children finish, burying the entrance to the barrow with rubble and soil. The low people are not given barrow burial, but are laid out in a clearing, where the Silent Children ritually dismember them and leave the meat out for the animals. To ensure that the spirit of the dead does not linger in resentment over this treatment, the bones are cracked and scattered through the clearing. Most Nimastha dread the “bone meadows” as a result and unswervingly avoid them outside of funerary rites. Religion One of the most surprising aspects of House Gemsari’s assimilation into Nimasthari culture is that they have entirely abandoned the old belief in the Marnic gods. Since no priests came with House Gemsari, none among them knew the specifics of the rituals, and neither had they imported philosophical works such as those of the Kwariotic School that provided apologetics for Marnic beliefs. Instead, the members of House Gemsari quickly came to embrace the Nimasthari religion as they established themselves in Taresani during the early chaos of the Great Orc-Wars. It should also be noted that there is no significant presence of Cagas Guapran within the borders of Utempe as yet, for King Imsaruya took a particularly unfavourable view of missionaries as subversives attempting to sow Drecitoun influence within his lands. Missionaries can expect to be subject to fines at least and more often to face imprisonment or even permanent exile from Utempe. During the last twenty years, Kings Tiomfara and Hauraza have both overseen a great recording of an as-yet-unnamed book that will consist of the entire body of Nimasthari myths, beliefs, and rituals. This was specifically initiated to crystallise the Nimasthari religion into a more organised form to permit its resistance against Cagas Guapran and the vaguer threat of Sahullam. Like the Kings of Drecitou and the lords in the Sea of Injil, the Kings of Utempe regard Cagas Guapran as nothing less than an open threat to their sovereignty. The Nimasthari religion is similar to other native polytheistic religions of Kerlonna. The highest and most holy deity to them is Gysim, whom they regard as the creator, the god of the sky and of the winds, and their ultimate ancestor. In the beginning, say the Nimasthari myths, the world existed in eternal night, for its skies were dim and empty, and no wind stirred. Yet life began with the Great Wind, which swept down from the heights of Eidzymà (being their name for the First Tree). And the Great Wind came upon the world and saw that it was without life. The Great Wind felt sorrowful at such emptiness, and therefore it took up a shape, being that of a man, to work its will. Landing upon the world, this man took on the holy name of Gysim, and saw that the world was without variation or mind. All lay in a silent, dead order of ice and shadow. Therefore Gysim howled a new chaos of life and light, and from him sprung first the gods, mighty and feeble. Next Gysim created the dragons, imbuing them with his own unknowable “divine mind” but not with the raw creative power of the gods. After the dragons Gysim and the gods created all other life in the world of plant and beast. Lastly, they spun forth the mortals, who had the minds of beasts rather than of gods, but imbued with the creative energy of the gods as a counterbalance against the dragons. Mortals and dragons thus were charged to maintain and protect creation from deathly order or from utter ruin. Thenceforth the gods withdrew from the world, up to the heights of Eidzymà, where they prepared a mighty hall. But one among their number, Weisomne, grew dark of heart, for she desired to become greater than her creator and to achieve creation of her own. Similar to the Iseiluaan myth of the god Ylkööten, the myth of Weisomne ascribes the creation of orcs to her. The Nimastha hold that after Weisomne created her own race of mortals, Gysim was enraged and denounced her as a traitor, then cursed her creations with eternal rage and hatred, and slew her. However, her divine spirit burned so fiercely that her body rose from death, rotten and broken but animated with white fire. Weisomne went utterly mad from the agony of her death and resurrection, and fled from the presence of both gods and mortals, delving far beneath the sea and creating a hidden realm there, where she could abide in hatred. The Nimastha hold that Weisomne has created a “mesh of night,” with which she ensnares the dead spirits of the wicked. The spirits of those who are not wicked are taken to the heavenly hall, where they are judged by Vokaur, the god of kings. Depending on the seeds they have sown in life, the dead are given a reincarnation that is appropriate: the righteous as eagles and falcons, the solitary as bears, the proud as humans, and so on. Unlike the ta’Ullamis, the Nimastha do not regard escape from the cycles of reincarnation as a goal, but instead see endless rebirth as a holy gift from the gods, and something to be celebrated. Even those who are ensnared by Weisomne are eventually released after eons of torment, and reborn in the form of wolves. It is believed that gifts left with a dead body will aid them during their time spent in the heavenly hall, and may even be “carried on” into their next birth, wherever that may be. Language There are, as in cultural terms, two primary branches of the Nimastha in their languages. The Sanriat and the Zhemerau seem to have split from one another perhaps fifteen centuries ago, recorded in their cultural heritage as stemming from a disagreement between two brothers that led to them putting out the left eye of one another in a murderous struggle. The Sanriat Nimasthari languages predominate in Utempe, with the Zhemerau confined to the eastern regions. The most important dialect of the Sanriat languages is Tsrintek, which is the spoken language of House Gemsari and the inhabitants of Tsrin and its immediate environs. Until the ascent of House Gemsari, the Nimastha were illiterate, without even the limited use of writing present in Iseiluaan culture. House Gemsari, cooperating with the Nimasthari priests, developed a modified form of the Marnic alphabet for use in military communications, religious rites, and mercantile exchange among the Nimastha. A distinct calligraphic style of this alphabet has become dominant among the Nimasthari nobility, using a curved series of dashes to connect the individual letters of a word. This format, known as “High Utempi,” has gained popularity in the courts of northern Drecitou and is widely admired as a writing style for copied manuscripts in that region. House Gemsari brought the usage of certain elements of Vulgar Marnic vocabulary into the Nimasthari languages, but grammatical and phonemic elements of Vulgar Marnic have not survived their assimilation. Since the Nimasthari languages are (distantly) related to the Tlankuric languages of which Marnic was the sole survivor, it is not particularly difficult for a Drecitoun to grasp the grammatical structure of Tsrintek, although it has a rich variety of particular consonants with which they might be unfamiliar. Utempi traders, as one would expect, take the effort to learn the Drecitoun Marnic language, and they often carry it back home, teaching it to their children. Tsrintek is learned by all noblemen of Utempe, as to act otherwise would be akin to a rejection of House Gemsari’s authority: the rebel nobles of Saonedh first manifested the Summer Rising through their utter refusal to conform to the Tsrintek dialect, instead choosing to speak their native Zhemerau tongues. History The earliest records of what is now Utempe can be found in the form of the Nimasthari oral tradition. Approximately four millennia ago, the ancestral Nimastha dwelt in modern-day Drecitou, in a broad arc of land spanning from the River Wirmas (on which Olea, the capital of Drecitou, was built centuries later) to what is now Serlau Province. Their records claim that in these ancient days, earthly gods ruled them and wrestled with stone giants. Though the veracity of such records is highly suspect, it is apparent that there was a pervasive culture established in the region, as investigated by the Guild in MY 480, when several wizards recorded that they had discovered identically-designed arrowheads from both the caves north of Serlau and from a secluded forest just west of Olea. However, the tradition claims that these earthly gods grew weary of the world and left to find new lands, walking across the southeastern seas. The Nimastha were thrown into chaos without their lords, and the stone giants attacked once more, slaughtering their people. A great number of them assembled on the northeastern shores of Kerlonna and built a great fleet, fleeing across the Pale Sea, for the giants were stupid and unable to build boats. The exiled Nimastha landed in a cold, rainy land, inhabited by a cruel and hard-hearted race of men. The Nimastha warred with these natives (the antique Iseilua), eventually managing to drive them entirely from the southeastern regions of Taresani. Because of the violence that marked their first encounters, the Iseilua and Nimastha avoided one another, keeping to their respective regions of Taresani. And thus it stood until the orcs came. By MY 600, Taresani had repulsed two attempted Marnic invasions in MY 403 and MY 559. The Iseilua and Nimastha had long since come to see each other as cohabitants of the same land, rather than enemies, and had gladly stood together to drive off the invaders from across the Pale Sea. The Nimastha were ruled by sacral kings called the Barindre (which is an antique Nimasthari word meaning “listeners”), spiritual successors to the old gods that had led their ancestors. Though Taresani remained a remote and wild land, its people had been at peace for centuries, and the world was good to them. But when the orcs swept through Hentölla but a few years later, everything went mad. The Iseilua of the far north were either exterminated or driven to the south, bringing famine and pestilence in their wake. Howling orcs loped through Taresani, slaughtering any they encountered. The Barindre were scattered and slain, and their peoples terrified and lost. As the years passed, the situation worsened, until it seemed that all hope was soon to gutter out. In the city of Marnoz, most of the noble Houses were unconcerned with this, for they sorely underestimated the orcs. However, one particular man did not. His name was Kandirza of House Gemsari (MY 569 – FY 32), a family with no notable prestige, but unusually vast assets: Kandirza’s grandfather had been an expert in trade with the Injili cities. Kandirza was possessed of a powerfully perceptive intellect and a restless spirit, often alarming other Houses with his ambitious attitudes. Kandirza was not satisfied with a life of luxury on the shores of the Tlankuram. Alarmed and yet fascinated by the news coming from Taresani, he slowly began to pool his assets and speak individually with varying members of the House about the possibility of moving out of the city. He had little success in this endeavour until the declaration of martial law in late MY 605, which filled the masses with terror. Urgently, Kandirza warned members of his House that far worse was yet to come, and that the life of the Federation itself was in jeopardy. When the Senates heard of his terrible warnings, they arrested him and sentenced him to die for treason. However, this merely convinced the main body of House Gemsari that the Senates were aware of the gravity of the situation, and were attempting to silence Kandirza. The young members of House Gemsari came to Kandirza’s prison, the Uñgir-Rakahmeruls (“belly of the lion”) and slew its famed guards in a coordinated surprise attack, breaking loose eleven hundred prisoners in their effort to free Kandirza. Immediately Kandirza realised that now he would be forced to flee Marnoz without hope of return, for what his House-members had done was far more treasonous than anything he had wrought. Therefore, he and perhaps two hundred of the prisoners who wished to follow him fortified their position in the lower areas of the prison, waiting for House Gemsari’s members to meet with him. After two days, more than two-thirds of House Gemsari’s members (perhaps forty-five individuals) had come to the Uñgir-Rakahmeruls and readied to leave their homeland forever. Kandirza led House Gemsari and the former prisoners on a three month journey from the Tlankuram into the northeastern provinces, hiring deserters from the Federal Legions as mercenaries with the considerable assets of his House. At the port of Serlau, already damaged from a minor orcish attack two weeks before, on Second Giran of Diontäih Yatimturri, 605th Marnic Year, Kandirza ordered that House Gemsari and its mercenaries steal as many ships as they could use, and burn the harbour behind them. Four days later, House Gemsari’s ships landed at the mouths of the Ijamtul River. The early days of House Gemsari’s establishment in Taresani were fraught with danger and with death, but the scattered bands of the Nimastha slowly gathered behind the banners of Kandirza. Kandirza and his followers rapidly learned that the best way to counter orcs with small numbers of soldiers was to, rather than openly confront them on the field of battle, instead fight with shadows and deception, attacking by cover of night and fog. Many of House Gemsari’s mercenaries became the proto-adventurers known as the Thorns, who attacked orcish bands directly rather than defend settlements against them. It was in fact Kandirza who coined the term “Thorn,” based on a musing of his that the “adventurers shall serve as thorns in the hands of the orcs, distracting them with pain until the final blow.” As the orcs began to crumble before the combined counterattacks of Thorns and soldiers, Kandirza rapidly moved to establish a stronghold, constructing a fortress called Tsrin on the northwest shores of Lake Mùàdza (taking the name from a legendary Nimasthari warrior) and using the funds of his House to establish a small group of professional soldiers from the local population and from the House’s own mercenaries. In FY 9, House Gemsari began its respective part of the Restoration, using its wealth to provide grain to the starving Nimastha whose villages had been laid waste by the orcs, and to re-sow fields that had long lain fallow. The fortress of Tsrin slowly grew into at first a village, and soon a town, and similar new communities grew at the mouths of the Ijamtul River and on the southern shores of the Siirimat Gulf. A decade passed, during which Kandirza’s sway over the Nimastha people gradually extended outwards, his soldiers crushing more vocal dissenters swiftly and efficiently. In FY 19, Kandirza declared a new nation, the first in Taresani, and named it Utempe: “the guarded land,” in the local Nimasthari dialect (soon to become known as Tsrintek, the official language of House Gemsari’s governance). His claim of territory was immense, extending from the southern banks of the Veesat River to the eastern side of the Dhuzarl Hills in what is now Saonedh. However, Kandirza had clearly underestimated the independent spirit that possessed the Iseilua, who rapidly began to foment sedition against both House Gemsari and its mercenary army soon after the creation of Utempe. In FY 21, as a response to Kandirza’s actions, the Kyrateen of the Iseilua nominated Teipanuu the Lomrikyrateen, and in turn Teipanuu formed the nation of Paakirjä, with its southern borders two hundred kilometres south of Utempe’s proposed northern borders. The Lomrikyrateen even sent out secret messages to the Kyrateen shortly afterwards, telling them to prepare for a war against House Gemsari and its Nimasthari followers. However, Kandirza had not simply left Marnoz’s destruction to be defeated in the forests of Taresani. Rather than protest the decision of the Lomrikyrateen, Kandirza welcomed it, requesting to have a peaceful meeting in the city of Jutyyl with the leaders of Paakirjä to “establish their relationship” in FY 23. As mentioned above, at Jutyyl Kandirza quickly submitted to Paakirjä on military matters, giving the Kyrateen control of the Utempi military in times of orcish invasion and agreeing on Paakirjä’s proposed borders rather than the original vision. However, in economics, Kandirza was able to gain a decisive advantage when he convinced Teipanuu to allow the passage of Utempi mercantile vessels through the territorial waters of Paakirjä. Kandirza was unable to control Taresani with an army (for that of the Iseilua was superior to his own slightly ramshackle forces). He would instead control it with merchants. The soldiers at the borders stood down on the Utempi side, and along the coasts of Utempe, Gemsari funds flowed into projects to eventually construct shipyards. In FY 29, only a decade after Utempe’s creation, the most serious threat to its existence arose in the form of Sahun Dkarit. A former Thorn, Dkarit was strenuously opposed to the very idea of rule by a Marnic House over the Nimastha, and he saw Kandirza as a dangerous oppressor and former criminal. It should attest to Nimasthari nationalism that despite the overwhelming wealth and military power that House Gemsari still possessed after nearly three decades in Taresani, the Nimastha were still willing to attempt open rebellion against them. The rebellion first began in Smatämro of FY 29, and for this it is known as the Summer Rising. Dkarit’s followers were not one unified army, but rather a loose collection of tribal bands that swore their allegiance to Dkarit’s ideals of independence and self-determination. Most of the Rising’s leaders dwelled in what was then northeastern Utempe, distant enough from the fortress of Tsrin that the native peoples knew little of House Gemsari’s generosity or law-keeping. In response, Kandirza and his soldiers rapidly moved against their northeastern frontier, patrolling through the open grasslands of that region and destroying any rebel Nimastha that they came across. It was a short and ferocious war that left over three thousand dead, mostly through lightning skirmishes rather than open military confrontation. However, Kandirza realised that he needed to cut his losses as soon as he could. As much as it pained him to do so, he understood that sacrificing the northeastern territories of Utempe to this Nimasthari nationalist movement would spare him any long-term commitment of soldiers attempting to repress rebellions that would continue to arise in Dkarit’s name long after the man himself was imprisoned and executed. With reluctance and anger, Kandirza made peace with Sahun Dkarit and recognised the man’s new Nimasthari nation, Saonedh, on Fourth Rigvarneu of Farudei, the same year that the war had begun. However, trade relations between the two were virtually nonexistent, and Paakirjä pointedly ignored the tentative requests made by Sahun Dkarit for economic aid. Since the end of the Summer Rising, Utempe’s history has been one of subtle phenomena. Mainly the occupation of the Utempi has been in affairs and politics of trade across the Pale Sea: the only time they were seriously inconvenienced in this was during Paakirjä’s War of Serlau from FY 64 to 66 and its subsequent occupation of the city. Rarely has House Gemsari acted blatantly since the death of Kandirza (now properly rendered as “King Kandirza I”) in FY 32. The most prominent incident would be in FY 94, when King Drasven II ordered the arrest and execution of his half-brother Daura, who was attempting to use an alliance with House Sahun in Saonedh to usurp the throne of Utempe from Drasven in the midst of the chaotic period of orcish resurgence that had already destabilised Paakirjä. The resulting split within House Gemsari between those that supported Drasven and those behind Daura was cut short by Drasven’s flat declaration that he had killed his brother himself and would not hesitate to use Utempe’s army against his own House to keep order. This abortive usurpation quite nearly sparked a civil war in Utempe, but for an ugly mistake made by the Saonedhi, attempting to send an expeditionary force to besiege the city of Nej. In response, House Gemsari rapidly forgot its own internal divisions, summoning conscripts from across Utempe and driving back the Saonedhi in a single assault that lasted for two months. During the counterattack, three leading members of House Gemsari simply vanished. None dared question the authority of Drasven’s reign for the rest of his life. In the present era, the Utempi have long since become quite obedient to the reign of House Gemsari. The Marnic blood of the Gemsari has been much diluted with that of the Nimastha anyway, and culturally the House assimilated into the Nimastha more than a century ago. Tensions between Utempe and Saonedh, never very much slackened since the Summer Rising, have risen since barley blight caused a riot in the Saonedhi city of Brashiv a year ago. Military expenditures have increased in Utempe, and outsiders have speculated that King Hauraza plans on an invasion of Saonedh soon, and to crush the frail House Sahun once and for all. Military The foundations of the Utempi military lie, ignominiously enough, with reknosreltei: deserters from the Marnic Legions. During Kandirza’s flight from the Tlankuram to Taresani, he encountered an entire legion which had deserted, in the wilderness just northwest of the Àŋerwoî forest. Their commanding officer, a citizen of Eädreñ named Turisas, had rejected an order by his general to directly attack a force of six hundred orcs that had attacked the northern coast of Drecitou. After weeks of fleeing their fellow legions (as they had been marked for decimation), the legionaries following Turisas were eager to have something to work for besides their survival. Therefore, Kandirza’s offers of gold were most welcome among them. Turisas’ legion protected House Gemsari during its journey across Kerlonna, and various small groups of deserters from other legions (as well as the occasional escaped criminal who had been recruited to fight the orcs) joined them in their quest. Turisas himself was of a mercenary bent, and shockingly violent: if it had not been for his tactical genius, Kandirza would likely have executed the man himself. It was Turisas’ decision to burn the harbour at Serlau after a sufficient number of ships for their purposes were stolen, and despite his own desertion, he tolerated no such action from his own soldiers. The punishment for desertion which he devised, and which has become the norm throughout Taresani today, is to be buried alive. He was, furthermore, a lecher and a drunkard, as well as a superb marksman. It is whispered that he attempted to rape Kandirza’s younger sister, Sayuntil, in FY 6. Shortly thereafter, during a standard skirmish with the orcs, Turisas died. The official story is that Turisas died of battle wounds, but the folktale is that Kandirza had him poisoned beforehand. Due to his heroic death (if it truly was heroic), he was granted an honourable burial according to Nimasthari tradition, in a barrow now located fifty kilometres northeast of Sekaag. Since his death the Utempi army has been named for him: the Turisatic Legion. However, his barrow is hardly ever visited. The Turisatic Legion is rather more similar to the Marnic Legions than to the native military traditions of Taresani. Utempi legionaries fight in phalanxes, the vanguard armed with spears, the flanks with arcuballistae, and the rest with spathae. Despite the expense, the military officers ensure that the legionaries are armoured with high-quality chain mail rather than with scale armour, to provide a better protection against arrows. As Utempe is warm enough to support hardy horses (unlike Paakirjä), cavalry may be found among the Turisatic Legion. Namely, heavy cavalry among the higher ranking legionaries. In a major battle, Utempi legionaries will first rush the enemy with their heavy cavalry. After the cavalry pull back, the arcuballistae will be let loose, further weakening the enemy for the major assault, that of the phalanx. While the Paakirjäni find that the best method for overcoming orcs is to fight like them, the Utempi regard the optimal strategy to be formation of solid ranks that the orcs cannot scatter. In naval combat, Utempi ships are designed for strength over speed, and a ram projects from the front of the ship, to crush any opponent on the water. Usually, the only combat that the Turisatic Legion faces is against Saonedh. Orc-raids have come but rarely to Utempe since the end of the Great Orc-Wars (with the exception of the period of orcish resurgence one hundred years ago), while Saonedh presents a clear and present danger to Utempi sovereignty. In times of emergency, the King may enact conscription, drastically inflating the size of the legion. However, the professional soldiers usually provide the most reliable route to victory. There are around four thousand legionaries in Utempe, stationed throughout the nation (as well as providing honour guards for ambassadors abroad). A thousand of them are based in the city of Nej and maintain fortifications near the border with Saonedh, watchful for any attack by the forces of House Sahun. As Utempe quietly prepares for war with Saonedh, recruitment in the Turisatic Legion is at a rapid pace, and Hauraza may in fact be contemplating enacting conscription. The legionaries of House Gemsari are soon to march. The Kings of Utempe I. Kandirza I, r. FY 19 to 32. II. Rikän I, r. 32 to 45. III. Esteġrid, r. 45 to 49. IV. Drasven I, r. 49 to 63. V. Atilañka, r. 63 to 70. VI. Sahegriz, r. 70 to 76. VII. Likairta, r. 76 to 86. VIII. Drasven II, r. 86 to 102. IX. Miändin, r. 102 to 107. X. Yuhara, r. 107 to 109. XI. Suodamerti, r. 109 to 120. XII. Umeitriġa, r. 120 to 128. XIII. Italkus, r. 128 to 135. XIV. Rikän II, r. 135 to 149. XV. Kandirza II, r. 149 to 162. XVI. Varcäna, r. 162 to 169. XVII. Imsaruya, r. 169 to 180. XVIII. Drasven III, r. 180 to 187. XIX. Tiomfara, r. 187 to 195. XX. Hauraza, r. 195 to present (198).